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Afterschool Lesson Plan Database

Lesson Plan

This lesson was excerpted from the Afterschool Training Toolkit under the promising practice: Math Games

Description:

This sample lesson is one example of a Math Game that builds measurement skills. Using a Price is Right game scenario, students see, touch, or hear objects, and are then asked to use estimation to predict the object's size.

Learning Goals:

For PreK-2

• Sort and classify objects
• Recognize and describe a rule for the classification of objects
• Understand length, volume, weight, area, and time
• Compare and order objects according to these attributes
• Understand how to measure using nonstandard and standard units
• Select an appropriate unit and tool to measure

For grades 3-5

• Understand such attributes as length, area, weight, volume, and size of angle, and select the appropriate type of unit for measuring each attribute
• Understand the need for measuring with standard units and become familiar with standard units in the customary and metric systems
• Carry out simple unit conversions, such as from centimeters to meters, within a system of measurement
• Understand that measurements are approximations and how differences in units affect precision

For grades 6-8

• Understand both metric and customary systems of measurement
• Understand the relationships among units and convert from one unit to another within the same system
• Understand, select, and use units of appropriate size and type to measure angles, perimeter, area, surface area, and volume

Materials:

• Items to estimate length, volume, weight, area, time, and other age-appropriate attributes
• Stop watch
• Tape measure, scales and other tools to measure items

Preparation:

• Gather a variety of items to measure, and tools to conduct the measurement.
• Develop age-appropriate questions regarding the materials.
• Determine the order in which students will participate (for example, by picking names from a hat, etc.).
• Set group norms for play.
• Develop limitations for guessing amounts (within what amount is a correct answer?).

What to Do:

• Select a student or two to be contestants and to "come on down" to play the game.
• Explain to the students that they will be presented with an object and asked to answer a given question about the object (relating to its size).
• Present the players with the item, then ask your pre-selected question (see sample questions in the Teaching Tips). Choose items and corresponding sizes appropriate for the age of the player.
• After contestants make a higher/lower decision, have them check if they are correct by selecting a tool and completing the measurement to determine the actual size of the item.
• Encourage the audience to coach the player as they try to come up with the correct answer.

Teaching Tips:

Evaluate (Outcomes to look for):

• Student engagement and participation
• Estimates that become increasingly accurate, illustrating that students are becoming more familiar with customary systems of measurement and better estimators of size
• Students can measure using standard and nonstandard units of measure
• Students select appropriate tools for measuring attributes
• Students share as well as listen to, apply, and learn from problem-solving strategies of peers

Standards:
Click this link to see additional learning goals, grade-level benchmarks, and standards covered in this lesson.